E. P. Beaumont

I have finished the correspondence with Iric Desnaray. He has his instructions and can be trusted to handle the matter independently. The full complement of the passengers is complete, and I am amused that Lady Luck has seen fit to place Martisset the Younger among them. I may be able to accomplish more than one goal here.

She is on her way to the Original World, or what may prove so — well, that’s a romantic fancy, and perhaps I should let out the leash a bit and let her fulfill that pilgrimage before asking her to return to this world and take up her destiny. A powerful will, that one. She does not fear to oppose me, and that is not altogether a bad thing. When I read the campaigns of dead emperors, the refusal to take counsel of one’s high command is a common failing.

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“I found an incinerator for the worst of the lethal stuff Temn gave me,” Hernan said. “Taryn definitely approved of that, not only for discretion but the public safety, and said I wouldn’t do too badly on the Outposts.”

“Which is, I assume, where you’re intending to honeymoon?”

“Well, yes. I confess it’s a short acquaintance, and somewhat unorthodox by way of courtship, but once you’ve been under fire with someone, I think it counts for some years of more steady company. Many tests of character, you know.” He smiled, “And per warrior tradition, we’ve already gotten acquainted at close quarters; the army of lovers, and all that — wonders for the esprit de corps. The vid-dramas don’t lie about that one.”

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Today’s excerpt is part 2 of 2, featuring on of the side stories from Inside the Jump. This one promises to spawn its own romantic action-adventure tale once I have finished the main trilogy.

Weekend Writing Warriors offers eight-sentence excerpts from a variety of writers; see the other excerpts here.

“Well, that’s an unusual tale of first meeting,” Martisset said, smiling in spite of herself. “One doesn’t usually disrobe down to the underthings before exchanging names.”

“There was quite a lot of arsenal to unpack,” Hernan said, “and of course I was on pins and needles the whole time, thinking Taryn might just kill me right there. But she heard me out.” He smirked. “And then she gave me a good long look and said she’d been unimpressed thus far with what she’d seen of Karis aristos, but perhaps her sample hadn’t been representative.”

“And then?”

“After that, then we considered proper disposition of the whole mess, and next steps: what to keep, what to ditch, where they were likely to be looking for us, and what assumptions they’d be making about her preferred itinerary for drawing me away and dispatching me discreetly.”

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Today’s excerpt is part 1 of 2, featuring on of the side stories from Inside the Jump. This one promises to spawn its own romantic action-adventure tale once I have finished the main trilogy.

Weekend Writing Warriors offers eight-sentence excerpts from a variety of writers; see the other excerpts here.